Pallet



Patented May 19, 1925.

j UNITED, STATES.

" nson J: BENTLEY, or NILES, OHIO.

I manner. 7

Application filed January 11, 1923. Serial N'o. 12,002.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Amer: J. BENTLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city ofNiles, county of Trumbull, and State of Ohio, have invented an Improvement in Pallets, of which the fol? lowingisa specification; I

The present invention relates to pallets and more particularly to pallets intended primarily for use in the manufacture of brick. x

The invention has for an object to provide an i improved pallet adapted to withstand the hard usage and weights to which it is subjectedtand which .can be economically manufactured. In the manufacture of certain articles from plastic and semi-plastic material, as for example brick, tile, and pottery, there is aftime after they are formed and before they are set' to retain the molded. shape when they must be suitably dried or hardened. andsome .form of drying board or pallet-adapted to providefa planesurface is necessary forv supporting the blanks while drying or setting. The natural drying of 7 plastic masses is frequently too .slow,.uncertain and irregular I for commercial manu-. facture and modern plants usually include a drying room' in which racks are arranged to support :the work or into which'rackcars can be run and leftftill'the work thereon is dry. To conveniently handle andstransport the work pallets are used, which pallets are arranged to-fit into the racks'in the drying room or. in the rackcars Inasmuch astthe invention has been developed more particu-. larly in connection with themanufacture of brick, a brick pallet will be described for the purposes of illustration. i It is important that the pallets used shall be rigid and present a plane supporting surface in. order that the plastic or semi-plastic brick shall not be distorted or cracked by any flexing or yielding of the pallet.

The present invention provides a pallet of such shape that it is extremely strong and durable even whenmade of relatively thin sheet metal, and of such construction that it can be expeditiously and economically manufactured from sheet metal of any A desiredcharacter or quality.

The nature and objects of the invention will be better understood from a description of a particular embodiment thereof.

For the purposes of such description, referterial with little or no waste.

ence is made tothe accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which-v 5 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a brick pallet constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention.

,Figure 2 is a central sectional view taken 4 i 'on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on the -"line 33-o f F igure Q. p

The pallet shown for the purposes of illustration may be formed from a flat blank I v of sheet metal, as for example galvanized sheet metal, having its edge portions folded to form stiffening reinforcements. As shown the pallet is shaped to provide a inwardly directed auxiliary fianges 8 and 9 are formed at the lower edges of the depending flanges 6 and 7. These flanges lie substantially parallel tothe body of the pallet. The auxiliary inwardly directed flanges stiflen the pallet against direct and twist 111g strains and also provide a broad bearlng surface wvliicli is desirable when a loaded pallet is. carried in the hand or upon or slid along the the spacing ofthese lines.fromeachother and from the edge determiningthe width of the flanges. The end flanges 7 and 9 are similarlyv formed. The rigidity, especially plane body portion '5, with depending side 1 I and end flanges 6 and 7. Preferably also .along two lines-parallel to the "side edges,

against twisting strains, is greater if. the

side and end-flanges are suitably connected at the corners'of the pallet either integrallyor otherwise. Such connection canrbe provided, for example,- by the manner" ofbending or folding of the blank to form the flanges or by riveting, welding, or the like.

The shape of the blank is such that it can be formedfrom a rectangular piece of ma In the part-icular structure shown, the blank is cut or notchedso that the flange-forming portions become separate elements which can be folded independently of each other and then these portions are folded to interengage. The

side edge flange-forming portions are of a length to form flanges equal in length to the length of the finished pallet, and the end edge portions are folded around the ends of the side flanges 6, 8 with the horizontal end flange 9 overlying and in contact 'tive drylng.

With the horizontal side flange 8. The depending end flange 7 is thus slightly deeper than the depending side flange 6. The end flanges may if desired tightly embrace the ends of the side flanges with a clamping action to provide rigid connection therebetween to insure greater stiffness of the pallet.

The pallet in use are ordinarily spaced on the racks to provide air passages for effec- Such spacing may be insured and facilitated by providing suitable spacing projections on one or both sides of each pallet. Such spacing elements conveniently may be provided by forming extensions at one or all of the corners of the pallet. As shown, the end flanges 9 are made longer than the width of the pallet so as to extend 'therebeyond at each of the four corners to provide spacing elements 12.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description is illustrative merely and does not define the limits of the invention.

Claims:

1. A pallet consisting of a rectangular blank of sheet metal having its side edge portions each folded at right angles along two parallel lines to form a downwardly extending flange and an inwardly extending flange parallel to the body of the blank and its end portions similarly folded with the inwardly turned flange overlying and engaging the ends of the inwardly turned flanges of the side edge portions.

2. A pallet consisting of a rectangular blank of sheet metal having its four marginal portions each folded at right angles along two parallel lines to form flanges respectively at right angles to and parallel to the body of the blank, the flanges along two opposite edges of the blank overlying and embracing the ends of the flanges along the other two edges.

3. A pallet consisting of a sheet metal blank having its side edges folded to form flanges parallel to the body of the blank, the flanges along the ends of the blank overlying the ends of the flanges along the sides of the blank and in contact therewith.

4. A pallet presenting a plane upper face and having side and end reinforcements comprising angular members extending along the sides and ends respectively, the side reinforcements projecting into the end reinforcements and the angular members of the end reinforcements embracing and extending beneath the ends of the side reinforcements and extending laterally beyond the sides of the pallet to provide spacing elements.

5. A' pallet having side edge portions folded to form reinforcing elements extending the length of the pallet and having the end edge portions folded downwardly and inwardly around the ends of the side reinforcing elements.

6. A pallet having side edge portions folded to form reinforcing elements extending the length of the pallet and having the end edge portions folded around the ends of the side reinforcing elements and extending laterally beyond the sides of the pallet to form spacer elements.

7. A pallet having its side and end edge portions folded to form stiffening reinforcements, the end reinforcements extending laterally beyond the side edges of the pallet to form spacing elements, the side and end stiffening reinforcements being interengaged to stiffen each other.

8. A pallet having side and end edge portions bent to form stiffening reinforcements, the reinforcements along the sides comprising vertical and horizontal flanges and the reinforcement of the sides and ends being rigidly connected at the corners of the pallet.

9. A pallet having side and end edge portions bent to form stiffening reinforcements,

the reinforcement along the ends comprising vertical and horizontal flanges and the reinforcement of the sides and ends being rigidly connected at the corners of the pallet.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 9th day of J anuary 1923.

ANSON J. BENTLEY. 

